Bag and handle



' I Feb. 2 1 1940.

A. B. FISHWICK 2,192,131

BAG, AND HANDLE Filed May 5 1958 INVENTOR: 44 5541' B. fisHw/ck.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 27, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFi-CE BAG AND HANDLE Albert B. Fishwick, Cincinnati, Ohio Application May 5, 1938, Serial No. 206,215

1 Claim.

My invention relates to the construction of bags, particularly of the type which are used as shopping bags or for purposes of carrying the contents of the bags about. The improvement relates to the handles which are employed for the bags, and the mode of securing same to the bags. Considered as handles to be used in a pair for any container which requires handles, my development has'considerable importance, so

that it is not limited to bags alone.

The problem of an inexpensive handle for a bag has been a puzzling one to those who manufacture shopping bags. It has been customary to provide cords which are held at the mouth of the bag, and are to be looped over the fingers. These cords tend to pull loose, and also to out into the fingers of the user. The use of paper handles having finger holes cut, judged by the type which have been employed in the past, would be subject to like difficulties. The handles would pull loose, and they would tend to cut into the fingers of the user. Also such handles are not sufficiently rigid unless made of very expensive material and hence become bent or distorted. I

I have illustrated my invention as applied to bags alone, and in two designs only, and do not wish to be considered as other than describing my invention with reference to these examples, the inventive concepts being set forth in the claim that follows,

In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a perspective of a bag partly broken away showing my preferred construction.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the piece from which a handle is made, for the said bag.

Fig. 3 is a view of a modification of the handle.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a like view to Fig. 4 showing the handle in use.

The bag shown is of the shopping bag type having a body I, and an upper edge which is turned back inwardly as indicated at 2. The handle is formed from a piece of paper board or other material which is bendable and relatively stiff. It has a body portion 3, with a flange 4 thereon, which is turned up and thrust under the flange or turned-in edge 2 of the bag. Staples 5 are then struck through the handle, fastening the portions 4 and 2 together.

This mode of forming the top of the bag and attaching the handle makes a strong construction and distributes the load of the bag about the reinforced top thereof instead of concentrating it on the handles. Besides it makes a strong and durable mounting for the handles. There will normally be two handles so mounted on the bag.

The finger hole in the handle piece is formed by dieing out a slot therein, which leaves uncut the upper portion. Thus in Fig. 2 is shown the died-out portion of the rounded end slot 6, with the portion 1 which is dotted left uncut. Preferably half of the enclosed flap 8 thus left attached to the handle at the upper end of the finger slot, is cut oif, in the dieing operation. However, as shown in Fig. 3 the entire enclosed flap 9 is left in place, attached as at l to the handle portion.

When attached originally to the bags and when shipped the flaps on the handle portions will be left as they lie, in the plane of the handle. As such they have no re-inforcing action. However when the bag is put into use the user will push each of the flaps inwardly, as indicated in Fig. 4. This results as shown in Fig. 5 in the flaps forming a bridge across between the two handle portions, at least one of the two flaps being unable to enter the finger slot in the other handle because it is the uppermost and lies on top of the other flap.

When bent inwardly in this way the flaps will greatly stiifen the handles, acting as a beam. Also the fingers will not contact the relatively sharp edges of the handle pieces themselves but will have the flat surface of the flaps as the lifting surface whereby the bag is held. (See Fig. 5). This avoids the discomfort attendant upon the use of bags at the present time, in connection with the strings used as a handle.

While not as satisfactory, it may be desirable to have one of the flaps left in the finger openings longer than the other. It is best to have two flaps left, one in each handle since otherwise it will be diiiicult to get a proper grip on the handle due to the single flap entering the finger slot in the other handle and thrusting through the same. Such a structure would be within the broad scope of my invention, but not a desired form thereof, so far as I am at present advised.

It will be evident that anywhere that it is desirable to have two handles made of bendable material, such as on a fibre board container for fruit and vegetables, where the handles will be secured to the closing flaps, that my novel handle will be of advantage.

Having thus described my invention, what I caim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In combination, a bag formed of flexible material and having its upper open margin turned in to form a reentrant flange, substantially rigid handles for the bag having bent-up lower edges ""to tuck in under the said reentrant flange, means for securing the handles through said flange and bent-up lower edges to the margin of the bag, said handles having elongated finger holes cut therein, the material cut away to form the finger holes left attached to the upper edge of the cuttached portions, said depending portions being therefore articulated at their upper edges to the finger holes and adapted to be bent inwardly l upon being grasped in the hand, with the depending portions extending laterally and acting as an from contacting each other.

ALBERT B. FISHWICK. 

